Pedestrian safety crossing sign



Jan. 3, 1961 R. PAULSON PEDESTRIAN SAFETY CROSSING SIGN Filed March 16, 1959 MERCURY SW/TCH INVENTOR. RICHARD I AULSON United States Patent PEDESTRIAN SAFETY CROSSING SIGN Richard Paulson, 332 Prospect, La Jolla, Calif.

Filed Mar. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 799,594

1 Claim. (Cl. 340-107) This invention relates to traffic equipment and, more particularly, to a manually operated safety crossing sign.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a manually operated and electrically illuminated pedestrian safety crossing sign that can be conveniently operated by any person or persons desiring to cross a thoroughfare.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a traflic signal that can be readily installed at a relatively low cost at any traflic intersection, whereby persons of all age groups may conveniently actuate it for the purpose of bringing the trafiic to a halt so as to safely cross whenever desired.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a safety crossing sign bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, 18 inexpensive to manufacture and etficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a pedestrian safety crossing sign made in accordance with the present invention in an actuated position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the device shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a schematic wiring diagram of the safety crossing sign shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a pedestrian safety crossing sign made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include an upright post 12 upon which a rigid arm 14 is rotatably mounted by means of a pivot pin 16 that is closer to one end thereof than the other. As a result, the arm is normally urged by gravity toward a vertical position in juxtaposition with the upright post 12. However, a flexible cable or pull rod 20- engaged within an opening 18 in the shorter end of the arm 14, may be pulled to raise the longer end of the sign to a horizontal position, such as that shown in Figure l of the drawing. The outermost end of the long end of the arm 14 has a pair of lens elements 22, between which a lamp 24 is mounted for energization by a battery 26 in response to movement of the arm 14 to the horizontal position shown. A mercury switch 28 carried within the arm 14 automatically energizes the lamp 24 from the battery 26, in response to the raising of the arm to the horizontal position, thus giving a visual signal to oncoming traffic that a pedestrain is about to cross the street. Indicia 30 may also be carried upon the opposite sides of the arm 14 and illuminated by the lamp 24, to provide instructions for the drivers of the oncoming vehicles.

A stop plate 32 secured by rivets 34 to the post 12, automatically limits the upward movement of the longer ice part of the arm 14, so that the signal will automatically come to rest in a horizontal position. The rigid arm 14 is preferably constructed of molded plastic material, of any desired size, shape, and color, so as to provide a completely waterproof and transparent or translucent housing for the lamp 24 and associated electrical supply means. Because of its low cost construction, these signals can be conveniently installed at many intersections in small communities, to provide utmost safety and convenience for pedestrians of all age groups.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A pedestrian safety crossing sign comprising, in combination, an upright support, a rigid arm provided with horizontal pivot pin means pivotally mounting said rigid arm upon said upright support for selective pivotal movement in a vertical plane between a normally vertically downwardly directed position in juxtaposition with respect to said upright support and an adjusted horizontal position extending outwardly perpendicular to said upright support, a lamp mounted within said rigid arm adjacent to an outer end thereof, a pair of oppositely directed horizontally spaced lens elements carried by said rigid arm on opposite sides of said lamp, a battery carried within said rigid arm, a gravity-responsive switch carried within said rigid arm and connected in series with said battery and said lamp and normally being open when said rigid arm is in the normally vertical downwardly directed position and being closed when said rigid arm is in the adjusted horizontal position extending outwardly perpendicular to said upright support for automatically electrically energizing said lamp in response to movement of said arm into said horizontal position, opposite surfaces of said rigid arm adjacent to said oppositely directed lens elements and positioned between said lens elements and the horizontal pivot pin being provided with visibly observable indicia positioned for illumination by light emitted from said lamp and radiating outwardly through said lens means, said indicia providing instructions to the drivers of oncoming vehicles and providing warning that a pedestrian is crossing a thoroughfare adjacent to said pedestrian safety crossing sign, a stop member fixed upon said upright support member outwardly and upwardly of said horizontal pivot pin in the path of outward and upward pivotal movement of said rigid arm for limiting same and causing said rigid arm to stop in said horizontal position, and manually operated means for effecting pivotal movement of said rigid arm between said vertical and horizontal positions and comprising an elongated pull member secured to the opposite end of said rigid arm from the end thereof mounting said lamp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,265,859 Young May 14, 1919 1,308,240 Huebner July I, 1919 2,591,888 Steffen Apr. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 357,923 Great Britain Oct. 1, 1931 354,120 Italy Nov. 10, 1957 

